On February 25, the Ministry of Digital Technologies organized a forum "Development of the startup ecosystem in cooperation with higher educational institutions of our country."

   The event brought together representatives of universities, startup ecosystem participants, investors, and the corporate sector. The forum is aimed at transforming universities into centers of innovation and entrepreneurship, attracting students to start-up activities, developing incubation and acceleration programs, and strengthening cooperation between participants in the startup ecosystem.

   Today, the startup ecosystem is an important tool not only for business development, but also for the implementation of innovative ideas, the expansion of the digital economy, and the preparation of young people for entrepreneurial activity. Therefore, the active participation of universities in this process is of great importance.

   The forum began with the creation of an alley of startups. Various innovative ideas and projects of students were presented on this platform. Students participated with their startups, technological solutions, and business ideas, and had the opportunity to receive recommendations from investors and experts. The Minister of Digital Technologies, Sherzod Shermatov, spoke with young startups at the alley organized for startups and gave recommendations for the further development of the startup ecosystem.

   After that, the official opening ceremony of the forum took place. Minister Sh. Shermatov spoke about the importance of cooperation between universities and the startup ecosystem. He made proposals for preparing students for entrepreneurship, developing incubation and acceleration programs, and strengthening public-private partnerships.

   During the forum, presentations and discussions were held by leading industry experts on topics such as startup financing, the contribution of universities to the ecosystem, the creation of startup parks in the regions, international incubation programs, and cooperation between business startups.

   Universities received recommendations on how to contribute to the startup ecosystem and develop students' business ideas, and corporations explored new areas of cooperation with startups.

   This forum has become an important platform for developing the startup ecosystem, establishing strong cooperation between universities and businesses, and implementing innovative ideas. This was recognized as one of the important initiatives that will contribute to the innovative development of not only universities, but also the whole country.